Yangshuo: A scenic Li River town transforming into a major tourist destination

By Bruce Connolly |
chinadaily.com.cn |
Updated: 2018-01-17 07:02

Early evening at a rice field near Yangshuo 1993.[Photo by Bruce Connolly/chinadaily.com.cn]

Arriving by boat in 1993 at Yangshuo’s Shuidongmen Wharf, I was entering a very different world from Guilin, 85 kilometers back up the Li River. Guilin had developed what was for that time a highly organized tourism sector, receiving mostly international and domestic tourist groups. Ascending the stairs from the river, I felt I had stepped back in time — gone was the modernity and commercialism I had experienced earlier. Being in Yangshuo gave me the feeling I knew I was going to enjoy this town.

Walking along narrow Xijie, or West Street, hemmed in by jagged, often egg-shaped limestone peaks, two- or three-floor buildings looked as though they had been there for generations. Apart from ground level spaces opened up to accommodate cafes and shops selling T-shirts, there was very little modernity. There were no large hotels — indeed, there appeared a dearth of visitor information, though locals were happy to point out guesthouses. I kept wandering, looking around, wanting to find a place that would suit me. I needed somewhere reasonably quiet but easily accessible to the Old Town. An elderly lady approached and led me through several narrow alleys to a peaceful inn. Set around a small lake-garden, I checked into a single room with great views of the surrounding landscape. It was perfect, and they even had bicycles for hire!

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Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form.